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Perhaps best known for their myriad gaming peripherals with dramatic names, Razer has just made a huge move into the PC hardware space. Announced today at PAX Prime, Razer’s new Blade gaming notebook packs a whole lot of gaming horsepower into an aluminum body that’s less than an inch thick.

As one would imagine from a company so heavily focused on improving the gaming experience, the Blade doesn’t skimp on components. A 2.8 Ghz Intel Core i7 processor powers the whole thing, with 8GB of RAM, a 2 GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M video card, and a 17-inch LED-backlit display to round out the package.

Seasoned PC gamers may scoff — they’ve seen their fair share of gaming laptops, after all — but the addition of Razer’s Switchblade gaming UI take the Blade above and beyond the realm of the ordinary gaming machine. First seen in an ambitious concept video last January, Switchblade now resides in the space to the right of the Blade’s keyboard. A set of 10 “dynamic adaptive tactile keys” provide quick access to in-game commands that change depending on what you’re playing. Below that is a two-function LCD that displays pertinent game info when a mouse is being used, and becomes a multi-touch trackpad when one isn’t.

Razer is touting the Blade as the world’s first “true” gaming laptop, and while I don’t particularly buy that distinction, it’s a machine that certainly doesn’t make any compromises. The hardware and design are absolutely on point, and with a price tag of $2,800, it’s the kind of machine that most gamers will only be able to dream of.

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CrunchBase

OverviewRazer is more than just the world's leading brand in high-end precision gaming products, perpetually defining the gaming technology space. Founded in 1998 in Carlsbad, California, Razer is driven by the ceaseless pursuit for absolute precision and heuristics in a distinctive, aesthetic design that will give gamers the edge they demand. With labs and offices in seven cities around the world, Razer …